"It's a zoo": Annual move in day brings traffic, chaos to Boston streets
BOSTON - Streets lined with U-Haul trucks. Cars double parked. Traffic. Honking horns. "No parking; special event" signs. Tetris games to properly stack belongings.
These are all the trademarks of a move out day in Boston.
August 31 through September 1 are the days most of the city's college students and many renters say "out with the old and in with the new," moving out of some apartments to others often right down the street.
"It's a lot, it's very chaotic," said Maddie Ritter, a student at Boston Conservatory. "You know, everybody's got a U-Haul, everybody's moving, we are all just trying to get it done."
A look at the numbers reveals the impact of moving day in the city. So far, the city of Boston has already issued more than 2,400 moving permits for trucks this month.
Public works tells WBZ it has collected an additional 38 tons of trash in the city since Saturday. And there have been more than 1,700 mattress pickups since Saturday. If you want your mattress picked up for recycling, the city asks you to call 3-1-1.
Seasoned movers (parents and students who have done this once or twice) tell WBZ their best pieces of advice.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Bring fluids.
- Have a sense of humor.
- Book your U-Haul or truck rental in advance.
- Label your things.
- Get the U-Haul van instead of truck so you can take Storrow Drive.
That last tip was especially poignant, as the city was filled with signs warning about trucks entering Storrow Drive. Massachusetts State Police told WBZ as of 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, there were 0 reports of over height trucks on Storrow Drive.
A particular challenge lives in the night of August 31, as many renters are stuck with full U-Hauls, unable to move into their new homes until the following day. So what do they do?
"Crashing on couches, staying with parents, getting hotel rooms, stuff like that," Maddie Ritter said. "Some people prefer to stay in their U-Haul overnight. We are stashing our U-Haul at a friend's house luckily."
The City's biggest piece of advice? If you see something wrong – parking, trash, etc. – or need non-emergency help, call 3-1-1 or download the 311 app.
